From Street Fighting to dancing and milking cows–hands on with the Nintendo Switch

Just like most Nintendo fans, I was excited to hear that the Nintendo Switch was going to be available in early 2017 when it was announced back in October 2016. It looked incredible and my kids were jumping up and down and in the back of my mind, I was wondering how I can add another Nintendo device to join the other Nintendo consoles we already own…

Fast forward to February 2017 and looks like I was not the only one who is a self-declared Nintendo fan as when the Nintendo Switch pre-launch was announced, Tiana Cline couldn’t wait to get her hands on the new console. Here is her report after spending some quality time with the Switch:

I’ve always been a Nintendo fan. What can I say? I genuinely like the mix of consumer-friendly games, hardcore RPGs and titles that make you think a developer was smoking “strong stuff”. (That said, some of my favourite PlayStation games – like Katamari – come out of Sony Japan so it could just be a personal preference for the unusual.) From the endless adventures in Zelda to secret beanstalks and more, Nintendo is here to stay and now that the Switch is coming – March 3 people! – I’m excited all over again.

Let’ be honest, no one really loved the Wii U. And while the 3DS is an awesome handheld, it isn’t a console. I went to the press Switch preview and managed to get a hands-on with many of the titles. Is it innovative or just gimmicky? This is what I thought:

Wow, there are a lot of games coming

Yes, there’s Mario Kart and Zelda (Breath of the Wild) and yes, they’re cool… but there are so many different games coming out and something which I feel will appeal to everyone’s tastes. I played Ultra Street Fighter 2: The Final Challengers, Splatoon 2, the adorbs Snipperclips, Just Dance 2017, Super Bomberman R, ARMS, 1-2-Switch and so much more. Some look lame, but they’re better than expected when you give them a go. (Splatoon 2 was particularly fun in multiplayer mode. It reminded me of THQ’s de Blob circa 2008.)

How cute is that controller?

It’s small, surprisingly so, but also really nice to hold. It’s bigger than a 3DS XL (if you’re wondering) but not uncomfortably so. The colourful Joy-Con controllers – the side controllers which can be popped off to play the Switch in tabletop mode – are really tiny but still useable. Each console comes with two but you can also buy a separate Pro Controller which looks and feels more like a traditional next-gen console control.

They thought of everything!

The whole point of the Switch is that there are many, many ways to play. It’s about being mobile or sitting down to play in front of a TV. How you play is up to you. The screen is crystal clear, like the PlayStation Vita, and moving from console to Switch screen is seamless. There’s no gameplay lag.

Where is Mario?

It’s coming. Super Mario Odyssey will be out, maybe, towards the end of the year. I say maybe because sometimes games get delayed but this is the first sandbox-style Mario game since Super Mario 64 and Super Mario Sunshine. It looks super fun, like a trippy GTA without the guns and prostitutes.

It’s expensive

Damn – R5200. (Note: USA price is $299.99 available on 3rd of March 2017)